Stockholm via Public Transit

Stockholm has an excellent public transport system, including the subway (T-Bana), buses, trams, and even boats.

UPDATED Fares as of June 2014: SL has a complicated fare system involving "units" or "coupons." Travel within 1 zone (see a T-Bana Zone map to view the zones) requires the use of 2 "units," while travel among 2 and 3 zones costs 3 and 4 "units" respectively. A "coupon" will cost you SEK 22 purchased on the spot, or SEK 18 if it's pre-paid. Alternatively, if you purchase fare in cash at the gate (or by text message), it costs SEK 36 for travel within 1 zone, valid for an hour after first use. You also can purchase a pre-paid "slip" of 16 "units," costing SEK 200, which will give you eight 1-zone rides, 5 1/3 2-Zone rides, and four 3-Zone rides. Also remember that you can't purchase tickets on buses -- you must buy them beforehand. SL is now encouraging users to purchase an "SL Access Card" on which you can load the various tickets and passes as you like. There is a one-time cost of SEK 20 for this card. Got all that? :-)

Fortunately for tourists, there are a number of passes you can purchase. Many times, if you purchase a hotel package, a "Stockholm Card" or "Stockholm Pass" will be included with your room. These cards offer use of public transit (except for the ferries to Djurgården and Skeppsholmen), as well as admission to many museums. The Stockholm Card may also be purchased at the tourist office, or online.

The best deal for most tourists is probably still to purchase a 24 hour travelcard, which costs SEK 115 and includes the Djurgården and Skeppsholmen ferries. For longer stays, you can also buy tickets for 72 hours (SEK 230), 7 days (SEK 300, can only be added to an SL Access Card). Check the website for details if you wish to purchase a longer-duration pass. You can purchase these at several T-Bana stations, including T-Centrallen, as well as news stands that display the "SL" logo.

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Arlanda airport to Stockholm - train + bus, cheap

This was the cheapest way to get into the city last year, in fact, included in your SL Access card – if you have one. This is how you go:1) Get SL (Stockholm Local Transport) Access card. For this you have to go to the City (between Terminals 4 and 5, as far as I remember) and find Pressbyrån (a newsstand that also sells all sorts of useful stuff). This is a real headache! Or maybe I was just tired after the flight and a bit slow, anyway, it took me about an hour to find the establishmenthttp://sl.se/en/Visitor/Tickets/Sl-Access/ 2) Take bus # 583 to train station Märsta. If you arrive in Terminal 5, you go out and to the left to bus stop 15 (see photo). I guess they go every 20 minutes, but better see the timetable. It says it’s only 20 minutes from the airport to the train station, nut for me it seemed like an hour.http://sl.se/ficktid/vinter/h583.pdf 3) Change to train at Märsta. If it’s raining, you are in trouble – crossing the bus parking to the station with your luggage in one hand, your umbrella in another hand and your SL card apparently in your teeth. The timetable promises you are at Stockholm Central Station in about 40 minutes.http://sl.se/ficktid/vinter/v36.pdf 4) Change to bus / metro to your hotel / rented flat on the same SL card.

This is real cheap, but not so quick, nice or easy. They say they are coming up with a direct train from Arlanda to Stockholm this year, let’s hope for that.

P.S. Most important - to find your way back, and it's not that easy with many exits at the Central Station!

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Explore Stockholm by bus

Stockholm's bus network consists of blue and red buses, which cover routes between the metro stations and to the city suburbs. Tickets can't be bought from the driver, but have to be bought in advance from kiosks (Presbyran) or be loaded on the electronic SL access card.

A useful bus service for tourists is no. 69 which stops near the TV-Tower Kaknastornet and also leads along the popular Djurgarden district.

Website: http://www.sl.se/

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Trams - usefull (not in rush hours)

Trams and light rail lines are few, but espacially tram heritage route 7 is very usefull. It starts from T-Centralen (it's end stop so you donät need to worry about directions) and goes to Djurgården, where are nice attractions like Gröna Lund, Vasa and Nordic Museum and Abba museet. It's included to travel card and Stockholm card, you meet some of Stockholms nice views from the tram and get just wihout walking to "game area".

The only cons is that, even trams operate with large schedule, there are so much tourists in the city, that the trams are very occupied in rush hours and the aircondition is lousy, reserve some wipers and water with you, so you survive the trip.

Trails are mainteined by SL but operated by Swedish Tramway Society.

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Museum Visits

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Underground Metro

If you don't plan to get a Stockholm card which is expensive and I didn't liked it because I am not that fond of visiting museums, ask the ticket guy in subway station for a day pass, 104 Swedish Krone for 24 hours and 20 Krone extra for the card itself. Remember to have Swedish Krone with you because they don't accept any other currency and your credit card will not work there.

Buy your SL tickets at Arlanda airport here:

- Pressbyrån (name of a newspaper shop), Sky City/Arlanda (between terminals 4 and 5 [walkable] and any Pressbyrån in terminal 5)- 7-Eleven, Arlanda terminal 4- All the information desks in terminals 2 and 4 and the tourist information center at the arrival hall in terminal 5- Pressbyrån, Arlanda arrival/international hall

This because you're not allowed to buy tickets from the bus drivers anymore and they won't let you on without a valid ticket, not to mention that you'll get fined if a controller asks to see it and you can't show it.

excellent choices

The public transportation system in Stockholm is excellent! There are trams, buses and the metro (tunnelbana), which will easily get you from one place to the other!

We did have a Stockholm map, which we bought at the airport (so it was not the tourist information one) and our map had the buslines in it, which was very helpful! After we lost that map, we just took a picture of a map in one of the tunnelbana stations and thanks to digital photography we were able to use this as our guide!!!

I would highly suggest to buy a day pass (valid 24 hours) or a 3 day pass (valid 72 hours from the time of purchase), so you don't have to worry about buying tickets, getting them stamped etc.

Metro and bus

The public transport in Stockholm is one of the best systems in Europe, with over a hundred metrostations and numerous busstops you can get almost everywhere with public transport. I recommend buying a Stockholms Kortet (Stockholm card) which is really worth it's price. With this card you can visit almost all museums for free, and you canuse the public transport system for free as well!

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Getting from Arlanda airport to central Stockholm

The fastest option in the express train called Arlanda Express. This train takes you from the airport to Stockholm central station is just 20 minutes. However, you need to pay SEK 240 / 460 (one-way/return) for the high speed. You can find some special prices for weekend trips. Trains leave about every 15 minutes.http://www.arlandaexpress.com/

The express bus operated by Flygbussarna is still quite fast, but much more affordable. The trip takes about 45 minutes with some extra stops in northern Stockholm, terminating at the central bus terminal (Cityterminalen) next to the central train station. Buses leave every 15 minutes, tickets cost SEK 119/219 (one-way/return), but you can save some money by booking in advance online. Note that cash payments are not accepted on the buses, you need to pay by credit card instead.http://www.flygbussarna.se/

The next option is to catch a local train from Arlanda to central Stockholm. This route takes about 40-50 minutes, and you will need to change trains at Upplands Väsby. Trains leave every 30 minutes. Tickets cost SEK 100 (one-way), or if you already have a regular local transportation ticket or pass, you need to pay a supplement of SEK 60.http://sl.se/en/Visitor/Tickets/Visitor-tickets/

The cheapest option is to catch a local bus and train to Stockholm. For that, get on bus 583 at any of the terminals towards Märsta station, and change there to the local train called Pendeltåg to central Stockholm. The journey takes about 60 minutes, buses and trains leave every 15 minutes. A single ticket costs SEK 60 (one-way), but if you buy a 1-, 3- or 7-day pass at the airport, you can already use that for this trip, without paying anything extra.http://sl.se/en/Visitor/Tickets/Visitor-tickets/

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To get to and around the city

Airplane. The international airport is called Arlanda and there are frequent buses to Stockholm City, right outside every terminal. This is the cheapest alternative, and also a very easy one. Nowadays there is also a faster train, but it costs the double.

Get a 'förköpshäfte' to get around town on bus and subway.

Or buy a tourist card for several days that also gets you into museums. Ask at 'Sweden House', or Sverigehuset, opposite NK (a departmentstore everyone knows).

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Purchase Weekly Pass

Stockholm is a city with fina public transport that consist of Ferries, Subway, buses and trams. If you plan you day well you should be able to commute in all these modes of transport seemlessly with the same ticket.

I purchased the weekly ticket that can be used for everyhting and it worked out well, I do remember that it wasn't cheap for the week, however a lot less expensive if I had to buy individual tickets.

Stockholm central can be crowed specially at peak office travel times.. at other times its fine. If you are travelling out of the city you have to rent a car and its considerabally lot more expensive..

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Go public!

With expensive parking fees in Stockholm, the best way to get around in Stockholm is by using public transportation means.

Stockholm is nowadays divided into 3 zones: A, including the whole subway system, B, including the "kommun" that are closest to zone A, and C, including the "kommun" that are farthest away. How far you're going will determine the price of your ticket, and generally buying the single ticket beforehand is cheaper than at the station. The alternatives are:

(1) Stockholm card: 24, 48 or 72 hours. The price includes entrance fees to museums.(2) SL card: 1-day, 3-day, 7-day, 30-day cards. Covers only the public transportation.(3) "Remsa", coupon strips: 16 coupons.(4) Single ticket: the price will depend on how far you're going. Those can NOT be bought on the bus anymore.

Travel to/from Arlanda Airport at no extra cost!

It is not very well known that you can use the Stockholm public transport (SL) cards to get to and from Arlanda airport. Most visitors to Stockholm will probably get one of these cards (in 24 hr, 72 hr, or 7-day versions) for travelling around the city (see other tips here). And it is possible and quite practicable to use ordinary public transport to get to/from the airport and the city centre, thus avoiding the need to pay extra for the Arlanda Express (220 kronor single) or Flygbussarna (99 kronor single).

From the city centre you need to get a SL commuter train (pendeltåg) from Stockholm C to Märsta, and then bus 583 or 583X from there to the airport. It takes less than an hour from Stockholm C to Arlanda T5, and costs nothing with a SL card.

Trains from Stockholm to Märsta run every 15 minutes and take 36 minutes. They use the pendeltåg platforms on the far side of the station (direction Märsta). Buses from Märsta station (the bus stands are just outside the station) also run every 15 minutes and are timetabled to connect with the trains. Bus 583/583X takes 12-14 minutes to get to Arlanda T5 (then stopping at terminals 4 and 2).

SL cards cost SEK 100 (24hr), 200 (72hr), or 260 (7-day) and can be purchased at the SL Centre in Stockholm C (the main railway station), or at Pressbyrån shops close to most T-bana stations, and at the airport.

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